


Club Krakenburg

by ZippyZapmeister



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Caminoka, F/F, Hinoka Doesn't Know What To Do In A Fucking Strip Club Apparently, Rating May Change, Strippers & Strip Clubs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-07-24 20:20:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7521769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZippyZapmeister/pseuds/ZippyZapmeister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinoka has to go on a witch hunt for her brother Takumi, who has suddenly struck up an interest in strip clubs. Of course, that isn't as easy as it seems...especially when the most popular performer for Club Krakenburg, Lavender, just so happens to be performing during Hinoka's search. Just how deep will Hinoka get involved with the enticing performer, and just how far will she go to be with her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Sirens Went Off The First Time I Saw Her

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PirateNinjaOutlaw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PirateNinjaOutlaw/gifts).



> THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WATCH MAGIC MIKE XXL BUT ALSO WANNA WRITE SOME LESBIANS
> 
> ADDITIONALLY I BLAME THIS ON PIRATENINJAOUTLAW SHE LET ME DO THIS SHE KNEW IT WAS HAPPENING AND LET IT

“This is...a bad idea,” Hinoka said. “Takumi is basically an adult, after all, and we shouldn’t be-”

“ _Condoms_ ,” Ryoma snarled. Hinoka raised an eyebrow, but her confusion was erased when she saw the string of colorful condoms that Ryoma had pulled out of Takumi’s bedside drawer.

Using one of Sakura’s bobby pins and a lot of Google search results, Ryoma picked Takumi’s bedroom door lock. Between college classes and a social life, Takumi was hardly ever home, but made sure to keep his door locked to protect what he had. It was a good idea on his part, since Ryoma was snooping through his stuff like it was no big deal. But of course it was a big deal; Takumi had left out of the house in quite a hurry with a duffel bag, and when Ryoma texted and asked him where he was, Takumi (somehow, politely) told Ryoma that it was none of his business.

“The ones on TV are always a sickly yellow,” Sakura murmured from behind Hinoka. “I never thought they would be so...pretty?”

Ryoma popped his head up from underneath Takumi’s bed with a bewildered expression. Sakura blushed when she realized how weird what she said sounded, and how odd it was to say it in front of her older brother. “Sakura, go back to your room. Hinoka, come help me look for clues, please!”

“Ryo, she’s fifteen. I don’t think seeing condoms will kill her...but who knows what else he has in here. Sakura, maybe you should just go watch TV or something,” Hinoka reasoned. As Sakura turned and walked off, Hinoka called after her, “And nothing with _condoms_! Jeez!”

Hinoka stepped farther into the room. It was neat, save for all of the things Ryoma was tossing around. Takumi’s bow sat propped up in the corner, in between his dresser and his closet. The room had a deep blue color scheme that made Hinoka feel relaxed and safe. Even the ceiling fan was painted dark blue.

Hinoka cleared her throat and walked over to the dresser, looking on top of it curiously. Ryoma looks up from under Takumi’s mattress and shoots her a wry smile. “Do you really think you’ll find anything on _top_ of the dresser? Come on, Hinoka. Even if he locked the door, no teenage boy in his right mind would leave anything incriminating on top of his dresser, out in the open like that.”

“I’m not a teenage boy, brother. How would I know?” Hinoka huffed. _I guess I have to look_ in _the drawers, then…_

Inside the top drawer were socks and underwear. Tighty-whities. Hinoka snorted and rifled around a little bit, only finding a penny and a very smooth, cool-looking rock. In the second drawer from the top, Takumi had...books. _Two bookshelves, and he still keeps books in his drawer?! Wow._ Hinoka tried to ignore the beat-up porno magazine that she saw beneath _Animal Farm._

The third drawer wasn’t interesting either, just a bunch of t-shirts. Ryoma came up behind her, frazzled. “Nothing under the mattress except a couple of two-dollar bills. Have you found-hey! That’s _my_ t-shirt!”

Sure enough, the black v-neck in the corner of the drawer was Ryoma’s, but when he unfolded it, he saw a lot more than the corny joke that was on it. From inside the folds, a piece of folded up notebook paper slipped to the floor, and as Ryoma stared at it in shock, Hinoka scooped it up and read.

“‘Hey big Taco! Hope it’s not an issue that I left this in your backpack. Me, Leo, and Odin are gonna try something new. We’re gonna go see some girls on Saturday night at this new joint called…’ Damn it, Ryo, he scratched the name out! Looks like he hides his evidence pretty well. There’s more. ‘They’ve got some pretty hot chicks, plus LAPDANCES! Hell, even LEO is pumped to go. Meet us there? It’s in downtown Nohr. You know...the sleazy parts. Haha! Be there or you’re out of the squad!’ And he signed off as ‘Niles-y’,” Hinoka finished. Ryoma was standing there, shell-shocked, and Sakura had popped up at the door again; she was blushing madly. Hinoka slouched like she had no bones, shaking her head in disblief.

After long seconds of silence, Ryoma gently pushed past Sakura and went to the coat rack near the door, whipping his jacket off. “What would Mother think?” Ryoma mumbled. “Takumi knows better, I’ve taught him that he shouldn’t go watch women be...oh, I’m going to go to that club and embarrass him beyond his wildest dreams!”

“Mother would tell you to slow down,” Hinoka said quickly, blocking the door. “Just think about this, Ryoma. Orochi would kill you!”

“Well, if I don’t go, who will?!” Ryoma barked.

Hinoka fell silent, and pondered the situation. Ryoma and Orochi had been dating for a while, and it was quite clear that Orochi could get jealous...rather quickly. Hinoka exhaled and said, “I’ll go. I’ll look up the clubs downtown and find it. Alright?”

“But-but-”

“Unless you want me to call _Azama?_  Lord knows what would happen if _he_ went down there.”

“We definitely don’t want Azama informing strippers of their insignificance in this world…”

“Exactly. Let me just go and scoop him up. I’ll give him a good tongue-lashing on the way home, and then you can finish the job,” Hinoka explained. Hinoka took Ryoma’s jacket and put it on herself, grabbing her car keys and her phone.

Ryoma frowned, but conceded. He said sadly, “I feel as if I failed as a brother…”

“Ryo, c’mon. It’s just a phase, and he’s obviously in with the wrong crowd. This Niles character doesn’t sound too savory, y’know? It’s just influence, is all. You did nothing wrong,” Hinoka assured. Sakura got on her tiptoes to pat Ryoma on the shoulder, then led him over to the couch as Hinoka left out of the door.

* * *

 

The area was unfamiliar, and her GPS wasn’t working. Her phone showed a couple of nightclubs, but none of them were _strip_ clubs. Hinoka frowned and continued to slowly cruise through downtown Nohr, looking for the bright flashy signs of a strip club. The city was kind of sleazy in and of itself, but downtown was much, much worse. _Takumi can defend himself pretty well, but...this is worrying._

Hinoka scrolled through her contacts, trying to think of who knew the area at least _kind_ of well. Setsuna sometimes came there for bow maintenance in a small shop, but that was on the other side of town.

Either way, Hinoka dialed her phone number and put her on speaker, setting the phone down. Setsuna drawled, “Hello?”

“Setsuna! Hey! I wanted to know if you knew of any strip clubs in downtown Nohr.” Hinoka’s face lit up as soon as she asked; Setsuna would probably assume the worst.

However, Setsuna simply said, “Um, yeah...I know two. Neon and Krakenburg.”

“...Krakenburg?”

“Krakenburg.”

“That...doesn’t sound very strip club-like, but I guess I’ll go if I have to. I’m near the liquor store that has some townhouses around the corner. I’m driving towards a...hm...oh, I’m driving towards a little cornerstore,” Hinoka says, looking around curiously. “Where do I go from there?”

Setsuna hummed thoughtfully, then said, “Uh, go straight, I think. Krakenburg is closer to you.”

Setsuna sounded pretty sure, but knowing her friend, the directions weren’t completely accurate. _Well, it’s the best I’ve got, since everything else is failing_. Hinoka hung up and continued to drive straight.

* * *

It took thirty minutes before Hinoka got to Krakenburg. There were several turns to get there; Hinoka had driven straight until she reached a dead-end, but saw no club. After driving randomly for a bit, Hinoka eventually came to her destination. Despite the name being not-too hype-inducing, the club was very flashy on the outside, with a bright pink neon sign and music bumping against her feet the moment she stepped out of the car.

Double checking to make sure she locked her car and taking off Ryoma's oversized jacket, Hinoka walked up to the front. It was obvious that she wasn’t from there, but she ignored the stares and went up to the bouncer. The bouncer seemed really frightening, but Hinoka felt a little disarmed by the smile he mustered. “Hey,” he said. His voice was as gruff as his appearance. “Uh, ID?” Hinoka brandished her ID, and he nodded slowly.

“Um, have you seen a guy that maybe looked like me? Brown-gray-ish hair, in a huge ponytail? Probably frowning?”

“Nah. I just started my shift, though,” the man said, looking apologetic. He checked his watch, and Hinoka peeked over; eleven fifty. “Go on in, if you like. Ladies are free before midnight. You just made it.”

Hinoka smiled and started to walk past, trying to ignore all of the stares she got from the surrounding clubgoers. She was hardly anything to stare at, with ratty sweatpants and an old, red, faded t-shirt from her horseback riding club; however, she thought it was more because they knew she was Hoshidan than anything. Nohrians and Hoshidans weren’t too fond of each other.

As she was about to walk all the way in, she felt a hand gripping hers, and she whirled around, snarling and ready to swing her other hand. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” said the bouncer. “I just wanted to, um, tell you...my name’s Benny a-and if you need anything inside, come get me, or call for someone named Charlotte. Be careful.”

Hinoka’s face softened, and she said, “Th-thanks, Benny.”

He nodded, smiled, and turned to his next customer. Hinoka took a deep breath and entered, and everything hit her at once.

There was a huge stage with a pole in that center coated with purple lights that was empty, but men (and a couple of women) were crowded around it and chattering anxiously. There were smaller stages scattered around the floor, with women dancing on it and tossing off random items of clothing. Flashing strobe lights of different colors illuminated the sweaty men tossing everything from ones to twenties. Pretty much everyone had some liquor in their hand, and the sweet-but-strong smell wafted into Hinoka’s nostrils, and her face curled up a little.

Men were cheering and hurling all kinds of compliments at one particular dancer, a red-headed pigtailed girl in a schoolgirl outfit. She was at Hinoka’s immediate left, while on her right was another pigtailed grl with cotton-candy colored hair; blue at the top, which faded into pink tips. She was down to her lingerie, which made Hinoka turn as red as her hair. She had apparently had a cowboy thing going, because she had on boots and was tossing her hat to some random screaming drunkard in her crowd.

“Hey, get a move on,” a guy from behind her roared. “We wanna get to the stage before Lavender comes on!”

“‘L-Lavender’?” Hinoka squeaked. She immediately apologized quietly and dashed ahead, inserting herself into the crowd in front of the stage. Part of her wanted to look for Takumi, but _maybe_ she would just check out what all this fuss was about.

She felt a couple of groans and complaints when two more people pushed their way to the front. She looked around to see who the intruders were. When she looked to her right, she saw two guys in hoodies, with ears on top. They also both had clip-on tails. It was like she was seeing _two_ of Kaden!

Wait...that orange-dyed hair peeking from beneath the hood...one of them _was_ Kaden! Before she could call out his name, he noticed her. “H-Hinoka?! Oh, gosh...wh-what are you doing here?!” The deep blush on his face looked weird in the purple lights.

“Me?! What are _you_ doing here?! And who’s that other guy? Is he an, um...a...whaddaya call it…?”

“A-an otherkin? Yeah, Keaton is an otherkin, but he’s more of a-what the hell are you doing here, Hinoka? Seriously! I came to see some chicks, yeah, but _you?_ ” Kaden looked around and then leaned in, doing a stage-whisper. “Y’know, I kind of always knew you were a lesbian. That’s cool with me, you know.”

The new character, Keaton, interjected. “Yeah, my gaydar’s definitely goin’ off for this one…”

“Listen, I don’t even _know_ you,” Hinoka said, behind Kaden’s back. Turning back to her friend, she snapped, “And I’m only here because Takumi went to some club with his little friends and I need to get him back home. Have you seen him?”

“No, we just got here. But hey, you gotta see Lavender, Hinoka. She’s good, for a human girl,” Kaden said, speaking quickly. “She wears ears a lot. Not the exact kind of ears I prefer, but they were hot all the same!”

“ _Who_ is Lavender, Kad-”

“ _Ladies and gentlemen!_ ” Hinoka perked up at the sight of the purple lights becoming lighter until they shifted into white lights. The announcer continued, “ _We here at Club Krakenburg think that you all are upstanding citizens for attending the show of our most popular, most seductive, most_ enticing _performer...Lavender!"_

At the sound of her name, people flocked over to the crowd in front of the main stage; the other strippers scuttled off, probably to unwind as the main act took over. Everyone surrounded the stage. Hinoka could touch it, she was so close; nobody was in front of her.

The announcer’s last words were, “D _espite your faithful patronage...we’re afraid we’re gonna have to put you under arrest! Give it up for...Officer Lavender!_ ”

The applause and cheers and filthy flirtations were deafening in Hinoka’s ears, and she began to clap slowly. The white lights flashed red and blue and police sirens played through the speakers. Kaden was literally _panting_ next to her.

After a couple of seconds, the lights stopped flashing, and all that was left was a light and the slightly-upbeat music that Hinoka couldn’t help but tap her foot to. All of a sudden, everyone began to cheer even louder, and Hinoka immediately noticed why.

The first thing she saw was the latex knee-high boots, strutting out from the curtains. They were strapped onto a pair of long legs that Hinoka wanted to just reach out and _touch,_ they looked so smooth. Her swaying hips were covered by a pair of navy blue short-shorts that Hinoka was quite sure actual police never wore. The top was just as questionable; it was full length, but was tight and unbuttoned.

Beneath the generic police cap was a curly bed of lavender hair, past her shoulders. Hinoka reached up to the space right above her shoulder and felt the emptiness there, then sighed a “woah” of amazement at Lavender’s...lavender hair. It covered one of her eyes, but the other one was stuck on Hinoka.

Kaden immediately noticed the sex eyes that Lavender was giving Hinoka, and roughly jostled her out of her awe. “Aww, man, Hinoka, ain’t it lucky to be you?! She’s staring at you like you’re her _dinner_!”

Before Hinoka could retort and tell Kaden to stop being so weird, Lavender’s hand grabbed the pole, and with startling ease, she hopped up on it, and was soon twirling down, in full “police” garb. _Her bust is jiggling...a lot! Is it supposed to jiggle that much?!_

Hinoka’s eyes were stuck on Lavender’s body like glue. Even when she took the boots off, she was the portrait of beauty and grace. She did all kinds of tricks on the pole that made even Hinoka, a very flexible and fit girl, green with envy. Once she was down to her lingerie, though (Keaton had snagged her baton as a souvenir while some guy on the other side of the crowd got her hat), Hinoka felt as if it were inappropriate to look any longer.

“This feels wrong,” Hinoka murmured in Kaden’s ear. “Seeing her revealed like this.”

He turned to Hinoka and scoffed. “‘Noka, I know you’re all caring and considerate and all, but c’mon. She’s a stripper. We’re supposed to look at her! Oh, look, she’s coming around front. Hey, do you have any ones? No? Alright, take this wad and put it in her panties!”

Kaden shoved a stack of ones (and a five) that looked like it added up to about thirty dollars. From behind Kaden, Keaton shouted, “Yeah, and give her a compliment or somethin’!”

 _Compliment? Is that proper etiquette for a strip club? Maybe I’ll just say something about her lingerie. The purple-and-black looks really good on her,_ Hinoka thought absently. However, she immediately turned her head around sharply. “Wait! In her panties?! No, no, no, I-I-I can’t go near there! That’s a sacred-”

“Then shove it in her bra, gods, Hinoka,” Keaton snarled.

Then, all of a sudden, Lavender was in front of her, with tons of bills in her underwear and bra, as well as in her hands. Hinoka neatly tucked the wad in her bra strap, being sure not to bump her forearm against Lavender’s breast.

Oh! The compliment. “Ah, you, um, looked very beautiful tonight. And graceful!”

Lavender looked shocked, but not displeased. Her grin widened suddenly, and Hinoka’s heart nearly _stopped_ when Lavender winked at her. Bending over closely, Lavender whispered, “Wait for me by the bar, alright, cutie?”

“H-haha, sure, yeah,” Hinoka squeaked. As soon as those breasts were that close to her face, she forgot all about her dolt of a brother. She wanted to _live_ in that club!

Lavender finished her rounds and went backstage. Hinoka dizzily waded over to the bar, Kaden and Keaton in tow. They all took a seat on stools. A blonde woman, wearing all black, was standing by the door that lead to the back rooms, which wasn’t far from the bar; she was filing her nails. _Must be the security guard. Was that the Charlotte Benny told me about?_

Keaton and Kaden ordered drinks while Hinoka stared at the ceiling, smiling like an idiot as she replayed Lavender’s sultry performance in her head over and over again.

She was snapped out of her reverie when she felt a pinch. She yelped and turned to her right, only to see Keaton frowning at her. “Thought you were a goner for a second. Gods, what did you do to get a personal talk with Lavender?! I’ve _never_ seen her come out here without doing a show! She usually stays backstage unless she’s performing!”

Kaden speculated, “Maybe she noticed how in awe Hinoka was and thought she might want some lessons!”

“No, it’s not that at all,” said a voice from beside the trio; it was Lavender, who had changed into what was more or less clubwear; a deep violet v-neck, some black shorts (not as short as her stage costume), and some very fashionable ankle boots that also looked quite comfy. She also had on...cat ears? _They look so cute!_ Lavender continued, “I wanted to see you in one of the back rooms for a while, Hinoka.”

“H-how did you know my name?!” Hinoka shouted, taken aback. It was like a _dream_ , hearing her name fall from those luscious lips, with that thick, seductive voice…

“Er...your friend just said it, dear,” Lavender said, laughing awkwardly. Hinoka actually _heard_ Keaton facepalm behind her; she blushed in embarrassment. “Anyway, like I said, I want to see you in a back room, just to talk.”

“Oh, no,” Hinoka whispered. “W-was I not supposed to put the money in your bra strap?! Is that impolite…?”

Lavender burst into laughter, having to wipe tears from her eyes. _What’s so funny?_ “Hinoka, that’s a _lot_ more polite than some of the other places people put their hands and money. It’s nothing bad, I swear, I just want to speak to you. After all, you’re rather cute, and I-”

Lavender stopped speaking immediately as a drunk clubgoer sauntered up to her and sneered, “ _Damn!_  What other, ah, ‘services’ are you offerin’, _Lavender?_ ” He rested his hand on her shoulder, patting her.

“We’re not that type of establishment,” Lavender said firmly. “And do _not_ touch me.”

However, the man was rubbing her back, and moving dangerously lower. The woman by the back rooms walked over and growled, “Alright, beat it.”

Hinoka got off her stool, and Keaton and Kaden stood behind her. “Right. She said to back off, so leave,” Hinoka said.

The man scoffed and said, “And what are you bitches gonna do abo-”

Before he could even finish his sentence, Lavender was kneeing him in his crotch, while Hinoka and Charlotte landed two heavy punches on either side of his face. In the blink of an eye, he was on the floor. He looked as if he wasn’t sure if he should cradle his face or his...family jewels.

Charlotte shouted something into a radio, and Benny came barrelling through the crowd, looking much, _much_ more frightening than he did at the door. He looked at Charlotte, Hinoka, and Lavender, but before he could ask, Lavender cooed, “We’re fine, Benny. We can handle ourselves.”

“Right, right,” he grunted. He nodded at Charlotte, then Hinoka, and proceeded to yank the disarmed sleazebag off of the floor and out of the club.

“Pleasant,” Charlotte remarked sarcastically. “What are you doing out here anyway, Lav? Shouldn’t you be backstage relaxing and waiting for your next show?”

Lavender sighed in irritation. “Yes, but I wanted to invite my new friend Hinoka back with me. Hehe, why, when I was on stage, she called me...beautiful.”

“Not how most people talk to _exotic dancers_ , but I guess that’s kinda sweet. Well, hurry it up. I like giving a good pummeling just as much as the next girl, but I wanna get a drink!” Charlotte made a “go on” motion, and Lavender turned to Hinoka.

“Right. Heh. I never thought that my knight in shining armor would be a _knightess_ in...ratty sweatpants,” Camilla murmured slowly. “Now that we can go interruption free, honey, would you mind-”

The odds were not in their favor; they were interrupted once more, but this time, it was by none other than Takumi. “S-sister?!” Takumi squeaked. With him was a blonde boy with what looked like a tiara, an ashen-haired boy with a fake eyepatch, and another blonde who was bouncing on his toes eagerly. Takumi said, “What are you doing in a place like this? Go home!"

“I was coming here to look for _you_ ,” Hinoka shouted. “Ryo is driving himself crazy! You’re in big trouble! C’mere so we can get back.”

Hinoka turned to Lavender to apologize for her sudden leave, but Lavender was too busy fuming at the tiara-ed blond boy to notice Hinoka. The boy quickly explained, “No, no, Ca- _Lavender_ , I only brought them here because they insisted on going to all of the clubs nearby, a-and I made sure to wait until you were offstage! Really, I didn’t want to come here in the first place! You know I only come here when Father makes me…”

 _Father? Why would his Father bring him here?!_ Hinoka shook off her thoughts to listen to Lavender reply to the boy, whose ear she was grabbing roughly. “You have no business here! You are in _big_ trouble! Niles and Odin, _go home!_ ” Next, Lavender spoke to Hinoka. “It...seems as if tonight isn’t our night to talk, huh?”

The tiara-wearing blonde piped in, “Are you Takumi’s sister? ...I’m Leo, Lavender’s brother. Er, if it makes you feel any better, Takumi didn’t really want to go. _Niles_ dragged us here.” He pointed to the eyepatch guy and looked away nervously. “So...make sure Ryoma goes easy on him, please?”

“Enough,” Lavender snapped. “Let Hinoka take her brother home, and I’ll deal with you. I’m very disappointed!”

Hinoka sighed in exhaustion. “Yeah. Let’s just all...go. Uh, thanks for the great performance, Lavender.”

Lavender smiled, while Takumi screeched, “You saw her perform?!” Leo looked embarrassed.

“It’s just my job, sweetie,” Lavender said, her face softening. Then, when she turned back to Leo, she looked angry all over again. She gave Hinoka a nod and stormed off with Leo, dragging him by his ear.

When Hinoka turned around, gripping Takumi’s arm in fury, she saw Keaton, Kaden, Niles and (presumably, based off of the people named in Niles’ note) Odin all talking and drinking. Hinoka gave Niles and Odin a glare, then said to Kaden, “I’m bringing Takumi home. Don’t ever say you saw us here, got it?”

All four of the boys nodded slowly, and Hinoka dragged Takumi out to the car, with Benny giving her a weird look and a polite nod on her way out. As soon as they got in, before Hinoka even turned the car on, Takumi said, “‘Don’t ever say you saw us here’? What’s that for? And _why_ did you stay and watch Lavender if you were supposed to be looking for me? We were at Neon.”

 _Damn it! If I had just gone there…_ Hinoka was silent as she stared at the time on her phone. She had been gone for two hours. “Listen, Takumi. I’m going to make you a deal, and I’m putting my faith in you, as a good brother and a _smart_ one, to just say ‘yes’ and not ask questions. Alright?” Hinoka didn’t give him time to answer. She said, “I’ll say I was out looking for you all this time, and I’ll cover for you and say that you were over Niles’ house and...didn’t tell Ryoma because...you didn’t want him to be mad for hanging out with Nohrians. Then we’re going to forget this ever happened, and you’ll _never_ go to a strip club until you’re living on your own. Understand me?”

“But why were you watching-”

“Takumi! No questions!”

“Fine, fine,” Takumi groaned, folding his arms. “It’s a deal. Just take us home, and I’ll get my duffel from Niles tomorrow.”

“Great,” Hinoka said, sighing relief. “Nice.”

As she pulled off, and on the ride home, Takumi told her that he didn’t plan on going to another strip club _ever_. He said it was awful and smelly and hot and boring. When he asked Hinoka if she agreed, it took all of her strength to lie and say yes, knowing that she would be going back to see Lavender very, _very_ soon.


	2. Sweet and Sticky...Syrup!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was hungry when i wrote this  
> also i know this is shorter than chapter 1 but chapter 3 is gonna be pretty long so???yeah lemme shut up

_The club was just as Hinoka remembered it, except it was empty. For some reason, the smell of liquor and the stench of sweat lingered in the air, still; however, it was mostly overshadowed by the smell of something sweet, something alluring._

_Hinoka unknowingly began to amble towards the smell, and it began to cloud her thoughts. She didn’t stop walking until her body bumped against the stage, the main stage,_ Lavender’s _stage. Hinoka turned to look behind her, and noticed that there was a chair there that wasn’t there before, a huge, comfy, black leather chair facing the stage. When she sat in it, Hinoka didn’t even fill it up, not even close._

_All of a sudden, Hinoka heard the slow click...clack...click...clack of heels on the floor. Her eyes went up to the stage immediately, but then she noticed that it was coming from the back rooms. Her head whipped around so fast that she could’ve snapped her neck._

_“Lavender,” Hinoka said, dazed. She felt relieved somehow, she felt at_ home.

_“Hinoka,” purred Lavender. She was dressed in black high heels, a black bra, and black underwear, along with similarly-colored stockings that drove Hinoka crazy. Oh, and those cat ears. Those damn cat ears! “You came back like I asked, like a good girl...I should reward you, right, sweetie?”_

_Hinoka sat up in the chair, her eyes wide. “Another dance, Lavender? One that’s just for me?”_

_“Not...quite,” Lavender mumbled. She walked over to Hinoka, and in the blink of an eye, she was straddling Hinoka backwards, her knees facing her stage and her butt nestled against Hinoka’s crotch. Hinoka pressed a kiss to her back, and Lavender gasped. Hinoka wanted to apologize profusely, but she stopped in her tracks when Lavender said, “Is that all? I want to have a little fun, Hinoka…”_

_“We can have a lot of fun,” Hinoka blurted out. “B-but turn around, so I can see your face?”_

_Hinoka kissed Lavender’s shoulder one more time, before she was face-to-face with…_

_Wait, what the hell?! That wasn’t Lavender’s face! That was…_

_“Takumi?!”_

_Yes, it was none other than her younger brother straddling her. She pushed him off, and started to run out of the building. However,_ everyone _was standing at the entrance! Ryoma, Sakura, Kaden, Azama, Setsuna, and many more of her friends...even her parents!_

_“Mother...Father...I-”_

_“Hinoka,” they all said in unison, “You should be ashamed of yourself!”_

_“Wha-wha-?! No, you don’t understand, I was just going to look for Takumi-”_

_“Hinoka...you’re a disgrace!”_

_“No, no, no-”_

_“Hinoka...Hinoka...Hinoka…”_

* * *

 

Hinoka shot up from her laying position, panting heavily. It was almost noon; she had slept in. Her heart was thudding in her chest, her ears, her whole head. She leaned back against her headboard, trying to get herself together.

“Hinoka? Hinoka? Are you going to wake up, or not?”

Kaden was at the door; one of her siblings had let him up to her room?! _Good thing he didn’t just barge in. Who knows what kind of nonsense I was spewing in my sleep?_ “Yeah,” she said weakly. “I’ll be out in a minute…”

“I was thinking we could go get some breakfast food somewhere. Since you missed the real thing,” Kaden suggested. “Oh, and, uh…” His voice dropped to a very, _very_ loud whisper. “We can talk about last night!”

“J-just wait downstairs,” Hinoka spluttered, shaking her head vigorously. Once she heard footfalls leading away from the door, she put her head in her hands. That dream...the ending was so troubling! When Hinoka got home the night before, she looked up Lavender; she performed Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, which meant that she was performing that very night. _But the dream...Mother, and Ryoma, and everyone else...they said I was a disgrace! Even if it’s not real, I feel disgusted._

That part of the dream excluded, though...what would’ve happened if Lavender didn’t change into Takumi? When she turned around, what would have came next? Would she have let Hinoka take off that bra? Would they have had a real kiss, tongue and all? Hinoka felt dizzy.

Not only did she feel dizzy, but she felt unbelievably uncomfortable too. It felt sticky in between her legs. Hinoka groaned in irritation, assuming it was her time of the month and she just hadn’t realized that it was time. However, when she went into her bathroom, she noticed that that wasn’t it at all.

 _I got...aroused? From that dream? Oh, gods, how can Lavender work me up so easily when she’s not even_ here?

Hinoka sighed shakily and ran the shower, determined to wash off all evidence of that stupid dream.

* * *

 

Apparently, Kaden wasn’t the only one who wanted some brunch. Their local diner was filled to the brim with people, eagerly chatting while they waited to be seated. After that morning’s harsh wake-up, Hinoka felt slightly nauseous, and the overwhelming noise didn’t do much to help.

After a fifteen minute wait, Hinoka and Kaden were led to a booth. Kaden sat and daintily adjusted his bright orange tail, then picked up the menu and began to peruse it with a hum. “Don’t look so deep in thought,” Hinoka teased. “You get chicken and waffles every time we come here.”

“Yeah, but this omelette looks pretty good! Let’s get our own meals, then split the omelette. It has spinach, ham, cheese, and tomato,” Kaden said. He looked very mesmerized by the menu.

Hinoka flipped through and found the omelette; it _did_ look pretty good. “Omelette it is, I guess,” Hinoka sighed. When the waitress came by, a fumbling pink-haired woman, Hinoka ordered pancakes, sausage, and eggs, along with orange juice; nothing too fancy.

In the middle of Kaden’s order, Hinoka’s eyes drifted to the entrance, which she could just barely see. What she definitely _did_ see, however, was three women that looked startlingly familiar: the red-haired, pigtailed stripper from Club Krakenburg, the turquoise-haired woman that worked as a bartender, and of course…

“Lavender!” Hinoka shouted, without thinking; the waitress squealed and dropped her pen and pad. Hinoka apologized profusely and dashed over to the entrance, grinning like a madman. “L-Lavender, what are you doing here?”

For a split second, Hinoka was worried that Lavender would be upset that she approached her so bravely outside of the club. What if Lavender didn’t go by her stage name outside of Krakenburg? Hinoka turned red as she thought of how brashly she acted, and hung her head.

However, Lavender chirped, “It’s so nice to see you here, Hinoka! I just came for a bite to eat with my friends, is all. Oh, do I see fox ears over there? Is that your friend, talking to the pink-haired waitress?”

“Yeah, K-Kaden’s here,” Hinoka stuttered. “So, um...your friends, er…”

“This is Rose,” Lavender said, gesturing to the red-haired girl. Turning to the blue-haired woman, she said, “And this is Beruka!”

“Yeah,” Beruka said, “You’re the girl that got a hit in on that bozo last night. You three really took that guy down.”

Rose snarled, “I wish I could’ve gotten in a couple of hits myself! What a loser!”

“I-it was nothing. I really do hope you guys stay safe from now on, though,” Hinoka said, smiling. Rose and Beruka looked skeptical and confused, while Lavender looked plain surprised. The group grew silent, and Hinoka tried to keep the conversation going. “Oh, uh, maybe we could ask if a hostess could find a table that fits all five of us, y’know? And we can sit together, if you’d like…”

Lavender perked right up, a smile lighting up her features. Hinoka felt dizzy. “That sounds wonderful! As long as I can sit next to you, of course.”

Hinoka stuttered for a couple of seconds before murmuring something incoherent and going off to fetch Kaden and a waitress. Much to Hinoka’s excitement, they were seated at a table that fit them all almost instantly. Kaden, Beruka, and Rose immediately began talking about the food, which left Lavender and Hinoka.

The table had three seats on each side, leaving one chair empty. Lavender and Hinoka sat on the side with the empty chair, which left Kaden, Rose and Beruka on their side. Lavender sipped her cranberry juice as Hinoka asked, “S-so do Charlotte and the girl with the blue and pink hair hang out with you all, too?”

“You mean Candy? Mm, usually. But they’re celebrating their anniversary today, so it’s just us three for now,” Lavender said casually. Hinoka almost choked on her juice.

“She’s fine with that, though? I mean, Charlotte, she’s fine with, uh, ‘Candy’ being an...a-a-a dancer?” Hinoka didn’t want to offend Lavender, but she wasn’t really sure how to word it.

Her fear was ill-founded. Lavender waved her hand dismissively and said, “Sweetie, no need to mince words around me. I’ve been called much worse than ‘stripper’.” Hinoka shoved eggs into her mouth, partly hoping she would just smother herself. Lavender continued, “Charlotte doesn’t mind. At the end of the day, she knows that Candy is hers, so she’s not too worried.”

“That’s...a lot of trust,” Hinoka said flatly.

Lavender raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say much after turning to her food. Lavender had gotten the same thing as Hinoka, but with bacon instead of sausage. When she saw Lavender daintily eating her food, Hinoka realized that she would have to refine her table manners in order to impress Lavender.

Hinoka ate slowly and neatly, but nearly spat out her food when Lavender asked, “Would _you_ do it? Date a stripper, I mean.”

“E-eh?! I-I-I don’t think I’d ever have to come to the decision,” Hinoka spluttered.

“I’m asking you to right now.”

 _She sure is forceful…_ Hinoka coughed and looked away, then murmured, “As long as...she was faithful...I guess…”

“Mm. Interesting,” Lavender said. She went back to her eggs with a small smile, and didn’t say anything else. Hinoka parted her lips to speak, but simply went back to her own food.

The waitress stumbled back over to their table just as they were finished and asked if they wanted dessert; Kaden, Hinoka, and Lavender were the only ones to say yes, so they decided to just get a huge slice of the diner’s specialty chocolate cake and split it.

That was probably the point where Hinoka’s day got one hundred percent better, and also one hundred percent worse.

It was probably a bad idea on the waitress’ part (Felicia, her name tag said) to carry all three plates of cake without a tray, but even if she had had a tray, her tripping and falling is what caused Lavender to end up covered in chocolate cake. A piece was sliding down the front of the frilly, white tank top she was wearing, and icing made a streak across her cheek.

When Felicia stood up, gingerly cradling her wrist, she looked mortified. “Oh, gosh, ma’am, I-I'm so sorry!”

“It's fine,” Lavender said quickly. She reached for a napkin and tried to clean herself up the best she could, but the damage was done. “Don't look so scared, sweetie. It was an honest mistake.”

“Jeez, do they just hire _anyone_ here? Watch where you're going,” Rose growled. Lavender shot Rose a look, and she immediately faltered and hung her head in shame. _It looks as if Rose respects Lavender a lot,_ Hinoka observed.

Felicia spat out something about getting more cake and it being free, then dashed off in embarrassment. Hinoka frowned and said, “Lavender, I feel really bad about your top.”

“It’s no big thing, darling. Rose, Beruka and I will just have to postpone our trip to the mall. Ah, my house is so far away from here, it would be troublesome to go, change, and come back…”

“Well, uh,” Hinoka sputtered. “Maybe you can...come to my place, and I’ll wash your clothes, and you can have a shower, if you’d like. Then you can meet up with Rose and Beruka at the mall in, say, an hour.”

A sultry laugh graced Hinoka’s ears as Lavender grinned like the Cheshire cat. “That sounds lovely, Hinoka. I have a change of clothes in Beruka’s car, so this’ll work out pretty well.”

Lavender looked thrilled at the very mention of the idea, but her friends were rather skeptical. Rose gave Hinoka a pointed stare, while Beruka said, “Don’t you think it’s a bit weird that you’re offering a woman you just met an invitation to your house? That much altruism is a bit startling.”

Kaden defended Hinoka immediately. “Yeah, it’s weird, but I can tell you one thing: she’s always doing stuff like this. She’s just really nice!”

Blushing at the compliment, Hinoka said, “He’s right. It’s just kind of what I do, I guess! Especially since I was the one who wanted to order cake, so it’s my fault, in part.”

“Jeez, it’s not that serious,” Rose snapped. “You wanted cake, so you guys ordered it. That doesn’t make it your fault. It’s that waitress.”

Said waitress appeared a couple of minutes later (this time with a tray that had three cake slices atop it), apologizing profusely. “I’m _so, so_ sorry about the cake! I took it off of your bill, so this one’s on the house.”

She laid down the bill after serving the cakes, apologized again, then scuttled off. Rose looked as if she were going to say something, but Lavender cleared her throat in a silent scold as she began to dig into her cake.

Once they finished and cleared up the tab, everyone walked towards the parking lot. Hinoka’s heart was pounding in her chest. Ryoma was at work, Takumi was at an archery club meet, and Sakura was sleeping over at her friend Hana's house. Hinoka’s palms were sweaty.

_Alone...in the house...with Lavender._

Kaden sensed Hinoka’s nervousness, and as Lavender was talking to her friends, he whispered, “I was gonna walk home, but are you sure you want to be alone with Lavender at your place? Maybe I should go with you.”

“No,” Hinoka blurted. “It’s fine, Kaden. She’s harmless, I’m sure.”

“You say that now, but...Nohrians can-”

“You’re not too quiet back there, y’know,” Lavender said. Her back was turned, so Hinoka couldn’t see her expression. Hinoka began shaking, scared that Lavender hated her because of her friends prejudiced remarks. However, Lavender turned, and Hinoka could see her stifling a laugh. “Don’t worry, cutie. I won’t hurt your friend...not without consent, anyway.”

Hinoka flushed as Lavender flashed her a wink. Kaden parted ways with them, beginning his short walk home, but Rose and Beruka hung behind as Beruka handed Lavender the bag with her clothes in it. Rose whispered, “Lav, are you _sure_ about this? It seems a little-”

“Really, Rose, you worry too much,” Lavender whispered back. She walked over to Hinoka and grabbed Hinoka’s hand, smiling serenely. “Alright. I’ll have that shower, now!”


	3. Never Trust A Shampoo Bottle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said this would be a long chapter but I lied I decided to split it into two chapters
> 
> Oops

The car ride over was surprisingly pleasant. Hinoka instantly felt embarrassed; she had immediately assumed that a stripper wouldn’t be...well, intelligent. However, they held a rather interesting conversation and Hinoka felt engaged the whole time. They talked about music, food, television, and other casual subjects; they both liked a lot of the same things.

 

When they got to Hinoka’s house, Hinoka immediately stumbled out of the car and ran over to Lavender’s side, opening the door. “Ah, so gentlemanly,” Lavender teased. Hinoka chuckled and turned red. Lavender’s manicured fingers left a ghost of a touch on Hinoka’s shoulder as she walked past. Hinoka stood, shell-shocked, before closing the car door and locking it as she jogged to catch up with Lavender.

 

Hinoka unlocked the door and opened it, bowing graciously and waving Lavender in. “Er...welcome to my humble abode,” Hinoka laughed.

 

“Humble isn’t exactly the word for it,” Lavender mumbled. She smiled at Hinoka and winked, and Hinoka averted her eyes and nodded politely. “I hope we don’t run into your brother…”

 

“Don’t worry, he’s out. Just us!” 

 

Lavender stopped looking around the house and whirled around to face Hinoka. “Just us?”

 

“J-just...us…” Why was her stare so...predatory? It looked as if Lavender wanted to pounce on Hinoka and do very, very filthy things to her. Lavender was smiling just a tad, but the emotion was all in her eyes. They were slightly narrowed, honing in on their prey. Hinoka could barely stand.

 

Lavender took a step forward, and Hinoka took half a step back, her eyes darting around nervously. “ _ Alone _ ?”

 

“...alone…” Lavender kept stepping forward, and Hinoka kept stepping back, until she felt the back of her feet hit the front door. Her bitten nails scratched the paint as Lavender stepped closer.  _ I thought that something like this would happen, but...not this fast! _

 

Lavender tilted Hinoka’s head up with her forefinger. A stark silence settled over them. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lavender cooed, “Oh, my. Two people alone in a big house like this? We’ll find a way to entertain ourselves, I’m sure. In fact...how long is he supposed to be out?”

 

“M-my sister is at a sleepover, a-and Ryoma shouldn’t be home for a couple of hours, and neither should Taku-”

 

“Hmm. I have a good idea. How about I call Beruka and Rose, then tell them that...something came up? We can get to know each other. If you’d like, you can even shower with me,” Lavender said. Hinoka prepared to reply, but every word was lost in her throat when Lavender’s hand shifted; her thumb grazed against Hinoka’s lips, stroking affectionately. Hinoka trembled, trying to subtly squeeze her legs together in order to still the pulsing ache in between them. Lavender was so close, Hinoka barely had to move if she wanted to steal a kiss. However, she was too dazed, too mesmerized, to consider the possibility.

 

Despite Hinoka being choked up, Lavender looked eager for a response. Finally, after what felt like hours, Hinoka managed to say (in a raspy voice), “If you promise not to look…I-I mean, we just met, and-”

 

“Oh, Hinoka, don’t be so shy! You don’t have anything that I don’t have, and vice versa.”

 

Being face to face with Lavender’s breasts, Hinoka had to disagree: “We do have the same things, but you do have a little  _ more _ ...rather, a  _ lot _ more.”

 

This seemed to entertain Lavender greatly, and Hinoka immediately regretted her word choice. She stammered pointlessly for a few seconds, but Lavender cut her off with a chuckle. “So it’s jealousy and feelings of inadequacy that prohibit you from showering with me? Mm...how disappointing. But I’ll let you slide, just this time. Do you mind showing me to your bathroom, sweetie?”

 

Hinoka felt slightly relieved, but mostly, she felt disappointed.  _ Damn it! Why didn’t I just take the chance when I had it?! _ Instead of sulking, though, she raised her arm and pointed towards the stairs. Lavender’s eyes seemed to flicker down to Hinoka’s lips before she pulled away, smiling sweetly.

 

They stood there for a moment, before Hinoka realized that she had to lead Lavender to the actual  _ bathroom.  _ “Er, right this way,” Hinoka stammered, walking towards the stairs.

 

She could’ve  _ sworn _ she heard a purr in Lavender’s voice when she said “alright”.

* * *

While Lavender was in the shower, Hinoka began to pace about. Hinoka heard Lavender’s phone ringing through her purse, but she didn’t pick it up; what if Lavender thought of her as a creep for just grabbing her phone out of her purse? Hinoka never thought she would go to such great lengths to make sure a person liked her. She was starting to scare herself.

 

For a second, Hinoka considered answering Lavender’s phone. Lavender had stowed her purse in Hinoka’s room, so Hinoka tiptoed into her bedroom from the living room. Hinoka gulped, and was about to reach out for it, then realized that Lavender’s bag was right next to it. “Oh,” Hinoka mumbled to herself. “Her change of clothes is in it...I’ll bring it to her.”

 

Hinoka picked up the violet tote and walked over to the bathroom door. She stood there for a second, fist raised.  _ What if I somehow end up seeing her naked?! I would never be able to look her in the eye again! Jeez, but it’s more likely that I’ll see her naked if she doesn’t have any clothes to put on...but our shower curtain is almost see-through. Hmm...I’ll just cover my eyes! _

 

Hinoka cleared her throat and knocked twice, then shouted, “Lavender, you forgot your clothes in my room! Do you want me to bring them in?”

 

Over the din of the shower, Hinoka heard, “Oh, my! I didn’t even realize I forgot them! Please, come in.”

 

Steam billowed out into the hallway, along with the smell of fragranced soap. Hinoka covered her hands in walked in, saying, “I’ve got my eyes covered, so don’t worry about me seeing anything.”

 

“No, dear, don’t cover your eyes, you might fall, or-”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Hinoka interrupted confidently. “I know this bathroom like the back of my hand! I’ll just set your bag on the sink, like so…”

 

Hinoka got the bag on the sink, but in the process, she knocked over a bottle of shampoo. It clattered on the floor, and she sucked her teeth. Lavender, still sounding worried, said, “Hinoka, just uncover your eyes. Really, I don’t mind if you see-”

 

“All I have to do is leave, Lavender. It’s fine!” Hinoka began to slowly back away from the sink, one hand behind her searching for the door. Her hand found the knob, and she grinned in triumph as she took one more step back-

 

And then, she slipped on the shampoo bottle she knocked over. 

 

She hit her head on the doorknob she was previously holding onto on the way down, and  _ hard _ . All she could do was cry out as the room tilted deceivingly.  _ Has the ceiling always looked like that? Has Lavender’s voice always sounded so warped? Gods, I hit my head really hard, didn’t I?! A-ah...something’s blocking the light…? _   
  


“...-noka!? Hinoka!? It doesn’t look like you’re bleeding...can you understand what I’m saying?”

 

Hinoka felt something wet, warm and soft on her shoulders, shaking her. The shock of the fall began to wear off, and her view came into focus. Hinoka grumbled something wordless to herself then looked up with squinted eyes.

 

Her jaw fell.

 

“Lavender, Lavender-you-you-your breasts,” Hinoka screamed. She tried to scramble away, but it was as if Lavender was pinning her down.

 

“Don’t move so quickly!” Lavender sounded like a chiding mother, and Hinoka was reminded of how she spoke to her brother Leo at Krakenburg. Hinoka imagined Lavender scolding her and telling her that she had to sit in the corner, and she laughed a little before becoming aware of her situation once more. “My, what are you giggling about? It’s like you’re delirious.”

 

“My head...just hurts...please, just let me up. I don’t think I’m dizzy anymore,” Hinoka lied. Of course she was dizzy, but it was much more because Lavender was leaning over her than her throbbing head.

 

The shower was still on and Lavender was soaking wet, suds still spotting her glistening body. Her breasts were rising and falling with her rapid, worried breaths, and Hinoka’s eyes were drawn to them for a second before surveying the rest of her body. It was hard to see in their position, but Hinoka could make out the swell of her perfect, shapely ass. Hinoka wondered if it jiggled-

 

“Hinoka? Hinoka, I’m going to help you to your bedroom, alright? Then I’m going to finish up in the shower-”

 

“No,” Hinoka interrupted. She tore her eyes away from Lavender’s soft-looking chest, heart racing. She needed to get Lavender away from her, quickly. She felt so weird, and warm, and she wasn’t sure what she would do if she left those feelings to build. “Leave me here for a second and I’ll get myself together, then you can help me up after you finish in the shower.” Lavender looked unsure, but prepared to stand up anyway. She stopped when she saw the murderous shampoo bottle on the floor, and she sighed tiredly at Hinoka. Hinoka picked the bottle up and held it in front of Lavender. “W-want some?”

* * *

Hinoka used all of her strength to look away from Lavender as she got dressed after finishing up in the shower. Lavender had used some of her own shampoo; Hinoka could smell it when Lavender helped her to her room. If she had to be honest, she was feeling quite fine except for the panging in the back of her head, but gods, if she didn’t take that opportunity, she wouldn’t have been able to look at herself.

 

“I think everything’s fine. I just need some ibuprofen and a bottle of water.”

 

“Don’t you worry one bit, dear. Tell me where it is, and I’ll go get it for you.” Lavender’s voice had some sort of tone to it that Hinoka found oddly comforting and reassuring, like a mother’s coo right before bedtime. 

 

“The ibuprofen is in the bathroom’s medicine cabinet, and there’s water in the fridge,” Hinoka informed, sinking into her pillows. Lavender had tucked her in...and that phrase is not used loosely. Hinoka felt like she was tucked away in a warm little pocket of love. It seemed as if Lavender was experienced in the art of tucking people in; no matter what Hinoka did, she could never do it right for Sakura when she was younger. The throbbing of her head hadn’t ceased, but she was at least comfy in her bed. It had never felt so warm before...

 

Hinoka had been so busy snuggling into her blankets that she hadn’t even realized that Lavender had gotten what she asked for. Hinoka was close to drifting off, it felt, but when Lavender came in, she was alert once more.

 

“Thanks for doing all of this,” Hinoka said. “I kind of feel like a little kid, but...I like it!”

 

“Oh?” Lavender purred. “I feel as if it’s my fault you got hurt anyway, with me leaving my bag in your room.”

 

Hinoka snickered. “Did you forget why you’re here in the first place? It’s because I ordered the cake that dropped on you! We’re even.”

 

“I suppose you could say that,” Lavender said, furrowing her brow. Hinoka sat up, trying to keep the covers as neatly piled around her as possible. She took the ibuprofen and gulped the water ravenously. “I’m not sure how a huge headache is equal to a stained blouse, though.”

 

Lavender sat at the foot of bed and grabbed her phone, unlocking it passively. Hinoka gasped, then exclaimed, “I just remembered, you had a couple of missed calls! It seemed like-”

 

“Oh my god...oh, my god,” Lavender whispered, her eyes wide in shock and what looked like...fear?

 

“Wh-what's wrong?” Hinoka sat up, the covers bunched around her waist. “Did something-”

 

“Yes,” Lavender interrupted, standing up. She packed all of her things into a tote, obviously preparing to go. “Something came up, and I-I have to go.”

 

Hinoka frowned. “Oh...um, can it wait a couple of minutes? Your clothes should be-”

 

“Really, Hinoka, don't worry about it. Keep them.” Hinoka blinked hard. What the hell?  _ Did I say something...? _ “I'm really sorry that I have to leave so soon, sweetie-it's an emergency-it can't be helped.” Lavender spewed out a bunch of random excuses, but Hinoka could do nothing but nod blankly as Lavender rushed out of the door.

 

When Hinoka heard the front door slam shut, she flopped back down, feeling...cold. She lacked Lavender’s warmth. She had to see her again...

  
_ Well, she performs on Sundays. I should be able to catch her tonight to give her back her clothes and get to the bottom of this mystery! _ Grinning, Hinoka set her alarm clock so she could take a little nap before going off to see Lavender at Club Krakenburg. 


End file.
